


Aureate (pertaining to the fancy or flowery words used by poets)

by stardustachilles



Series: Acosmist (one who believes nothing exists) [17]
Category: Dysprosium
Genre: Alex is 26, Art Museums, F/F, Fluff, Galas, Hotels, Sara is 19, long car rides
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 17:12:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11189640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustachilles/pseuds/stardustachilles
Summary: Alex and Sara go to DC for the weekend.





	1. Find yourself a new king (this town ain't big enough for two of us)

They were lounging in the grassy area of the quad, a couple of blankets spread out beneath them. Sara and Minerva were studying, and Sebastian, Oliver, Hayden, and Ben were talking, like friends should be doing when they’re not going to see each other for a while. Sara was nothing if not studious, and determined not to have homework.

Sara was trying to focus on her Intro to Bio textbook in her lap, packet sitting in the open pages. She  _ really  _ didn’t want to, but if she didn’t get this assignment done before Alex got here, she wouldn’t get it done at all. They were going to DC for the entire long weekend; Alex’s parents had some campaign functions, and Sara wanted to go to the National Gallery of Art.

“Oh my god,” Sebastian interrupted, and Sara’s head snapped up. Minerva’s didn’t. Typical. “I can’t believe you guys are actually studying. We have a week off; that’s plenty of time. Spend some times with your friends.”

Sara smiled, shook her head. “I’m not gonna get anything done this weekend, and my Bio professor gave us a packet.” But she set her pen down anyway. Not closing her book; holding out the hope that she might finish a little bit more.

Ben was ranting about his boyfriend Adam, who was in college out of state. It was all Ben ever talked about before a long break, because he and Adam would meet up in their old hometown and spend time together. It was cute watching him gush, even if everyone had already heard all of it before. Sara resigned herself to not getting anymore work done today.

A few minutes later, a car pulled up to the quad; it wasn’t exactly a road, even less so a parking lot, but it used to be. Sara recognized the car — Alex’s black 2014 Camaro that she had gotten when she graduated college. Sara didn’t say anything, instead continuing her conversation and fiddling with her textbook.

“Holy shit,” Hayden said when the Camaro pulled up. “That’s a  _ hot  _ car.” Sara snickered a little as the rest of her friends agreed, admiring it. Alex stepped out of the car, but even from this far away she was stunning. Wearing ripped jeans and a cutoff gray sweatshirt with the sleeves rolled up that Sara liked to steal, she pushed the round reflective sunglasses on her face to the top of her head and looked around. “Holy shit,” Hayden said again, and this time it was in reference to Alex. “That’s a  _ hot  _ girl.”

Sara could tell Sebastian and Oliver recognized Alex, and she shot them a look. She wanted to see how this played out. Ben said, “I’m gay but she’s hot,” and Sara laughed. Hayden agreed by saying, “She looks like she would punch me and I’d thank her.”

“She is kinda scary looking,” Ben said as Alex started making her way over and Sara watched Hayden and Ben watch her, ducking her head and scribbling an answer on her Bio worksheet. She understood how Alex could be misconstrued as scary, with her sharp cheekbones and pale eyes, and considerable muscle mass.

Alex sat down casually, paying no attention to anyone but Sara. She put her legs on either side of Sara, leaning against her back. “You look cute today,” she whispered in Sara’s ear. Sara didn’t think her outfit was particularly special, just a maroon sweater with a black chest pocket, black pleated skirt, gray knee socks, and black combat boots. The socks she had gotten from Alex; they had zigzag designs little buttons on the outside. “That next one’s adenosine triphosphate,” she said, pointing to a blank on Sara’s worksheet. “Also, hey.”

“Hey,” Sara said back, scratching down the words in the blank.

“Hey, Alex,” Oliver greeted, and Sebastian mimicked him.

“Oh, hey guys,” Alex replied, winking at them.

Sara could tell Hayden and Ben were staring, so she said, “This is my girlfriend, Alex.”

Before Hayden and Ben could introduce themselves, Minerva interrupted with a complicated question from her advanced physics homework that Sara could barely follow, and she was dating an astrophysicist.

Alex leaned over to peek at Minerva’s homework, saying, “Oh, you just got these two variables mixed up, and you need to exploit the orthogonality of the modes you’re using.”

Minerva muttered a thanks and wrote furiously, only looking up after she had finished whatever problem she was working on. When she saw Alex, her face twisted up a little bit, but was quiet, so Sara took the opportunity to introduce her friends to Alex. Alex was kind and Sara was thankful, because sometimes Alex could be a little prickly around new people. But these were Sara’s friends, and if Sara trusted them, Alex trusted them.

“Oh my god, you’re her!” Minerva exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Alex. “I knew you looked familiar. We watched the documentary you were in in class the other day.”

“Oh, really?” Alex asked. “Which class?”

“Astronomy,” Minerva answered, blushing a little. Sara had heard Minerva talking awhile ago about her idols, and if she remembered correctly, Alex was one of them.

“You were in a documentary?” Sara asked, leaning back into Alex.

Alex wrapped an arm around her waist. “Yeah, I was like twenty-two and I had just published an article about Mars in the  _ Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy _ .”

Oliver hummed, impressed, and Sebastian remarked on the difficulty of being published.

“I think I saw you in a magazine once,” Ben added, slinging his arms across his knees.

“Oh,” Alex said. “That. That was terrible. I had hoped it would never come up again.”

“What magazine?” Sara asked, trying to turn her head to look at Alex.

“Nothing important,” Alex waved a hand. “It was something like ‘Top Ten Richest and Most Beautiful Families in America’. Total bullshit and took way too long, like six months ago.”

“That’s so cool,” Sebastian said. Sara saw him lean back into Oliver affectionately.

There was a marginally-comfortable moment of silence, and Alex said, “Anyway, we’ve gotta leave soon if we want to make it to DC by sundown. My parents asked it we could stop in before we check into our hotel to go over the game plan for tomorrow.”

Sara nodded her assent, but said, “But I haven’t packed a bag? I would have if I had known we were leaving right away.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Alex dismissed. “I packed for you. You’re just going to have to live with wearing what I pick out for you.” Sara blushed and ducked her head, stuttering a little and hoping her friends didn’t pick up on the implications of that statement. Alex pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. Don’t get her wrong, she loved when Alex picked out what she wore, but she didn’t want her friends to know that.

“But you brought the Camaro?” Sara asked. “What about the Wrangler?”

Alex snorted. “Couple reasons. Mom ‘n Dad thought it would be ‘inappropriate to drive a Jeep to this event’, so James asked if he could borrow it. Something about off-roading with his brother? I’m not worried.”

Sara thought she should be worried, but if Alex wasn’t worried she shouldn’t be either. “Alright,” she agreed. She closed her textbook and shoved it in her bag, letting Alex stand first and grab her bag. Sara followed, bidding her friends goodbye.

 

Later, ten minutes away from campus and about two hours away from DC, Sara was lounging in the passenger seat of the Camaro, feet on the dash and Alex’s hand on her thigh. Sara’s music was flowing softly from the speakers, and they were sitting in comfortable silence. Sara was playing on her phone. Alex was mostly focused on the road, squeezing Sara’s thigh with affection intermittently. (Sara was glad this car had an automatic transmission.)

Sara’s phone buzzed in her hands with a text from Hayden.

**H:** _ Why didn’t you tell me who your super hot gf was?!?!?! _

Sara tapped out a response. _ idk. I didn’t think youd approve or smthn _

**H:** _ why wouldnt i approve? I saw how she got all soft around you _

Sara blushed.  _ you noticed? _

**H:** _ everyone noticed. cmon _

**H:** _ isnt she like 26 tho? _

**S:** _ is this you disapproving _

**H:** _ no, im just worried bc i care about you and youre 7 years younger than her, and you guys come from two completely different social classes _

**S:** _ did you google her? _

**H:** _ maybe _

**S:** _ well dont worry about it. Shes not a predator or anything. We can talk when i get back _

**H:** _ okay. I love you _

**S:** _ love you too. Kisses _

Sara dropped her phone, letting her head fall back against the headrest. She knew her friends would get worried, and that was why she hadn’t told them. She and Hayden had known each other since middle school. She was a little overprotective. Alex glanced over at her, and Sara glanced back. “You okay?” Alex asked, moving her hand a little higher up on Sara’s thigh.

“Yeah,” Sara answered. “Hayden’s just questioning all of the actions I’ve ever made in my life, and I’m considering moving to Finland to become a sheep herder.”

“You truly appreciate hyperbole,” Alex said, a smile gracing her lips.

“I do,” Sara muttered offhandedly, “but that’s not the issue here. She thinks you’re a predator or something. And she Googled you.”

Alex was quiet for a minute, and Sara could see her gathering her thoughts. Her hand was incredibly warm, even through Sara’s jeans. “You knew people would do that when we got into this thing. But I understand how this could be different, because you’ve known her since middle school and all. Do you think, when she understands our relationship better, she’ll be accepting?”

Sometimes Sara hated how rational Alex was. She shrugged, placing one of her hands atop Alex’s on her thigh. “I dunno, probably. I told her we could talk when we get back.”

“Well, then that’s good, right?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, I guess,” Sara said. She smiled. “Shut up.”

Alex laughed. Sara hated how she was always right. The road raced by them; Alex always drove on the right side of too fast, but Sara was used to it by now. Sara loved driving on the interstate with Alex exactly for that reason. For the most part, Alex was a law-abiding citizen, but Sara had wheedled some stories of Alex in high school out of James, and apparently she had done some street racing. Until she had crashed her Mustang and her parents had refused to buy her a new one. Alex wasn’t exactly open about her childhood, but she answered whatever questions Sara asked.

“Hey,” Alex said, “perk up. We only have a two-hour drive left.”

Sara threw her head back and groaned playfully.


	2. (God) Hit me straight on

“Are we there yet?” Sara whined, shoving her feet up on the dash of the very expensive car that was currently hurdling down the Interstate at ninety miles per hour. The book in her lap had her phone resting in it, but both of them were being ignored in favor of complaining to Alex about the two and a half hour drive to DC, which was more like two hours with the way Alex drove. What could she say, she was restless. Even though they only had an hour left, that didn’t mean Sara was sated by any means.

“I swear to god, Sara, if you ask that one more time I’m going to pull over and duct tape your mouth shut and throw you in the trunk,” Alex said. It was a much more violent threat than the delivery would suggest, but Sara knew Alex would do something along those lines if she didn’t shut up. To be fair, Sara had asked about thirty times in the last five minutes.

“Are we—” Sara started, but was cut off.

“Sara!” Alex interrupted, voice hard but not actually angry. Sara could tell she was plotting something, then Alex said, “Get into the back.” Alex’s voice wasn’t one that you argued with, so Sara complied, unbuckling her seatbelt and climbing over the center console. Once she was sitting, Alex said, “In my bag, there’s a tie. Get it.” Sara did. “Good. Now tie it around your eyes.” Sara’s adrenaline spiked with the implications of that. She was grateful for the orders, though, and wrapped the tie around her eyes so it blocked out all the light. “Now lie down, and take a nap. I’ll wake you up when we get there.”

It was definitely not what she had expected, but Sara had never not followed one of Alex’s orders, so she laid across the seats, curling her legs and tucking her arms beneath her head. She closed her eyes behind the blindfold and heard Alex turn on some soft music, mixing with the sounds of traffic as they flew down the road. The car rocked her gently to sleep, leather seats warming up beneath her cozily.

 

Sara woke up to Alex honking, then jerking to the right suddenly before the car stopped. Sara flailed her arms out, not remembering she couldn’t see. A hand grabbed both of hers, and Alex’s voice said, “Hey. You can take the blindfold off now. We’re here. I forgot how much I hated driving in DC.” Alex kissed her knuckles before she let go of Sara’s hands.

Sara grunted and sat up, pushing the tie off her eyes with her palm. She blinked drowsily at the sunlight, shining directly into her eyes because the sun was setting. She looked around. “I forgot how fancy your parent’s house was.” There were three other cars in the cobblestone driveway. The house itself was huge, modern Mediterranean-style, and the cars were very expensive looking. Sara identified an Aston Martin and a Mercedes-Benz, which she recognized as Alex’s little sister’s car, and what could have been a Bentley.

Alex got out of the car and came around to open the back door for Sara, offering her a hand up. Sara took it, using the leverage to fall against Alex’s side. Alex tucked her under her arm, slamming the door shut before smoothing down Sara’s hair. They walked up the long driveway and the front door was unlocked, a soft light coming from inside. Alex’s parents and sister were sitting on the couches to the left when they walked in, drinking champagne.

The three of them jumped up when Alex closed the door behind them, coming over to exchange hugs and warm greetings. It was only the second time Sara had met them, but she got hugs and cheek-kisses too. Alex pulled Sara down onto one of the couches, Alex’s parents on the other, and Alex’s sister in the chair. Sara subtly leaned into Alex, still tired from her nap.

“We missed you, Alex,” Lane, Alex’s sister said, leaning against the arm of the chair. “And it’s nice to see you again, Sara.” Sara smiled and blushed. Lane and Alex were very clearly related, same blonde hair and strong jawline. It had been hard enough for Sara to make eye contact with Alex before she got comfortable, and now she was around Alex’s beautiful family. Alex’s mother looked like an older version of both Alex and Lane. Alex’s father was the only one who didn’t look like them, with russet hair and brown eyes, unlike the rest of the family’s blue ones.

“Here you go, honey,” Alex’s mother, Anna, said, offering Alex a flute of champagne. Sara was the only one too young to drink, but Alex still let her have a sip. Alex took a drink herself and said, “Oh, I like this. Is it for the gala tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Joshua, Alex’s father, answered. “Your mother wanted to test it one more time before we served it to all of her colleagues and constituents.” Alex snorted and Lane giggled into her glass. Anna took a generous gulp from her flute.

Sara always loved to watch Alex’s family interact. It was foreign to her, much different than her own family dynamic. Alex’s father and mother weren’t as affectionate as Sara’s were, but they orbited each other, always bickering quaintly and amicably when they weren’t having an important conversation. They treated their children like adults, and from what Sara had gathered from Alex’s stories, they had always done that. Sara got the impression that that had been why Alex had gotten into street racing as a teenager, but she didn’t bring it up.

Sara sat quietly while Alex and her family talked, eyes fluttering drowsily every once in awhile. Alex’s fingertips rubbed gently on her hip, not really helping Sara stay awake. Alex’s parents asked her some questions about her classes and Sara answered as best she could. She had gotten the full-on interrogation the last time she had met them. She hoped this was just friendly curiosity and refined charisma.

It was dark out by the time they bid their goodbyes, on the pretense that Alex should get Sara to bed before she passed out on the couch. Leaving incited more warm, diplomatic hugs and cheek kisses. Back down the driveway, Alex kicked some loose gravel and opened Sara’s door for her, buckling Sara in before she closed the door. Alex walked around the back of the car and climbed in the driver’s seat.

“You okay?” Alex asked, grabbing Sara’s hand. It was warm, and calloused from all her hours in the gym against Sara’s soft palm. Sara leaned her head forward and kissed Alex’s scarred knuckles. Too many fights as a kid. She always asked Sara if she was alright, after a long day. Especially driving. Sara hated long drives.

“Yeah,” Sara answered. Alex pulled her into a kiss, free hand moving to the back of her head and tangling in her hair. Sara sighed into Alex, eyes rolling back into her skull just a little bit before she closed her eyes. She wasn’t lying — she was exhausted, yes, but Alex had showed up at her college and impressed all her friends effortlessly, then gave her orders during the car ride to keep her calm. And Sara didn’t dislike Alex’s family; they were good people, just from a different culture than Sara’s. She pulled back, eyes still closed, forehead resting against Alex’s. “Let’s go to the hotel. I’m tired.”

Alex released her, turning the key. The engine flipped, car roaring to life. “Anything you want,” she said impishly, throwing the car in reverse and spinning out of the driveway. It only took about ten minutes to get to the hotel, mostly because of Alex’s casual illegal interpretation of the speed limit. Sara grabbed the door every time Alex took a precarious turn but snickered nonetheless. Alex laughed and winked at Sara, grabbing her hand.

They pulled into the hotel’s driveway. Immediately a concierge and a valet came running up, and stood waiting until Alex and Sara got out of the car. Alex directed the concierge to grab the bags out of the now-open trunk while she and Sara grabbed their bags from the back seat, then Alex tossed the keys to the valet. Of course Alex would pick a hotel with valet parking included; nothing but the best. And the fact that she hated parking garages. The careless display of wealth it projected would have set Sara on edge at some point, but now she lavished in it, because she knew Alex liked to spoil her in every conceivable way.

Alex talked to the desk clerk and got their room keys, then led Sara to the elevator, where she leaned against the mirror and pulled Sara to her chest. Sara shoved her face into Alex’s neck, snuffling a little bit against the edge of her sweatshirt. The elevator dinged to the stop too soon, and Alex took her hand and pulled her down the hallway to their room, and Sara snatched the key card out of Alex’s hand at the last second, because she wanted to open the door. Alex laughed and kissed her jaw affectionately.

Sara gasped when she saw the hotel room. The walls were a deep blue and the carpet was brown with navy blue stripes, but that wasn’t what awed Sara. It was the king bed through the open double doors on the right wall, the enormous bathroom with silver fixtures, and the glass sliding door that lead out onto a balcony, overlooking the pool. Alex and Sara had stayed in fancy hotels together before, but it was still just as incredible every time. What could she say; she liked good interior decorating. And Alex’s preferred line of hotels, Kimpton hotels, were always pristinely decorated.

Their bags were already stacked by the bed, and Alex set hers up on one of the little racks they provided and started digging through it. She pulled out her outfit for tomorrow; a white, body hugging cut off halter top, a gray pencil skirt, and strappy three inch black heels. Next she pulled her laptop out of the messenger bag she brought. She motioned Sara over, grabbing her wrist and kissing her on the forehead before pushing her down on the bed. She zipped her bag back up and dropped it on the ground, putting Sara’s bag in its place.

“I already picked your outfit for tomorrow,” Alex said. She pulled out a white, form-fitting dress with overlapping straps and a sweetheart neckline, three inch black heels with a strap around the ankle and one above the toes, and the diamond collar Alex bought her that held a structured circular shape. “And day after tomorrow we’re gonna do whatever you want, because I took this week off work. We can drive back whenever; we don’t have to spend all week here.” She closed Sara’s bag and set it next to her’s, hanging their clothes in the closet.

Sara sighed happily and looked adoringly up at Alex. “You’re amazing,” she said. She reached out a hand and Alex smiled and took it. She stepped between Sara’s knees and put her free hand on Sara’s shoulder, fingers outlining her collarbone. “What time is your parents’ gala tomorrow?” Alex ran a hand through her hair.

“Starts at six tomorrow night.” Alex put a knee on the bed between Sara’s legs, creeping beneath her skirt. “Ends at ten. Four hours of schmoozing and sweet-talking to get people to fund my mom’s campaign.” She moved forward, forcing Sara to throw out a hand behind her so she wouldn’t fall over. “But after,” she said, pushing Sara down onto her back and crawling atop her, “I’ll give you a bath and play with your hair until you fall asleep.”

Sara snorted out a laugh. “I thought you were going to suggest something more fun.”

Alex laughed, full-bodied and beautiful. “Are you kidding me? This is a political gala. You’re going to be exhausted and feel disgusting afterword. I promise, a bath and relaxing is exactly what you’re going to need.”

Sara craned her neck up, bumping her nose against Alex’s chin. “Okay. I trust you. Implicitly, for some reason.” Alex smiled at her and leaned down, pressing their lips together. “Did you at least pack pajamas?”

Alex pulled back an inch and kissed Sara’s nose. “Something like that.”

 

“Alex,” Sara whined. “Can you zip me?” She padded into the bathroom, back of her dress hanging open. Her hair was already in a ponytail, but she didn’t have the heels or choker on yet.

“You’re gonna have to wait a moment,” Alex answered. She was sitting on the counter in her fancy top and underwear, French braiding the hair on the left side of her head. The right side was already done, hanging over her ear but somehow not looking sloppy. “This isn’t exactly something I can I can stop immediately.”

“I think you should go just like that,” Sara said. “It’s hot.”

Alex laughed, tying off her hair with a clear rubber band. “C’mere,” she said. Sara backed up to her, holding up the end of her ponytail unnecessarily. Alex kissed the top notch of her spine as she zipped the dress, making Sara shiver. She slid her hands to Sara’s hips, pulling her backward and wrapping her arms around her waist. “You look beautiful,” she mouthed against Sara’s neck.

“Alex,” Sara whined again, though it sounded like more of a whimper. “C’mon, we don’t have time for this.” Alex kissed up the side of her neck and used the hand on her hip to turn her jaw, so she could kiss along that, too. Sara’s eyes fluttered shut and she leaned heavily back against Alex. The edge of the counter dug into her lower back, but she didn’t care.

“Sure we do,” Alex whispered. She bit Sara’s earlobe. “The thing starts at six, it takes ten minutes to get there, it’s about four-forty now. I could get one, maybe two outta you.” The hand moved from Sara’s waist to her thigh, pulling up the edge of her dress. Sara groaned, head falling back onto Alex’s shoulder. “You know you want to,” she said against Sara’s collarbone. “Just real quick, I promise.”

Apparently, just real quick meant fifteen minutes Sara could have used to perfect her eyeliner, but she didn’t regret it. Her legs were just solid enough to stand in her heels and she was relaxed enough to not stress out too much about the event. It was the second one she’d ever been to in her life, but the last one had been when she was eight and it was one of her dad’s work functions — nothing of this scale.

Alex grabbed Sara’s face right as they were about to leave, kissing her firmly on the lips and handing her a small purse. “You look great,” she said, and pulled Sara’s tan overcoat over her shoulders. “You’ll do fine. Just smile and pretend like you know what you’re doing.”

Sara laughed, grabbing Alex’s matching black overcoat from the hook by the door and handing it to Alex. “That’s what I was going to do anyway,” she said as Alex shrugged on her coat. She grabbed her car keys and Sara’s hand and they headed out the door.

Sara’s leg bounced in the car as they pulled into the driveway. Alex opened her door for her, like always, and offered her a hand to step out of the car. There were other expensive cars lining the street up to the house, and Sara felt a little out of her depth. Alex tangled their fingers and they walked up the cobblestones, and through the front doors to the house. There were people laughing and talking on the porch between the main house and the guest house, in fancy dresses and nice suits with flutes of champagne and other alcoholic drinks.

“Well, we aren’t early, that’s for sure,” Alex muttered, moving her hand to the small of Sara’s back as they walked through the open front door. There was one group of people loitering in the entryway, but the doors to the sitting room were closed, and probably locked. The clock said it was six-thirty, but Sara blamed Alex for them being late. There were two clusters of people in the room through the archway between the stairs, but most were in the living room. Alex led Sara there, immediately moving up to the group Alex’s sister was conversing with. The doors to the bar room were open, and Sara could hear laughter from inside. The doors to the family room were closed, though, and probably locked as well. Alex had left some of the plants Sara had left at her house in there last time they had come.

“Hey,” Alex greeted her sister with a kiss on the cheek, and Lane reciprocated. Lane touched Sara’s shoulder lightly and smiled the Barnes Family Political Smile (Sara thought they should patent it).

“You look great,” Lane whispered in her ear. “Alex really knows how to pick an outfit.”

Sara laughed lightly, because Alex’s entire family was like that — dominant and a little bit of a control freak, but intelligent and witty and lovable. It was what made them such great politicians, and what had won Mrs. Barnes her congressional seat for the past eighteen years. That, and the fact that Anna was an objectively incredible Senator.

There were waiters strolling around the house with serving trays, slipping into the kitchen to refill them now and then. Alex grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing tray, and a tumbler of ginger ale from another for Sara. Sara sipped her drink lightly, while Alex talked to people, flattering and schmoozing as only a Barnes could.

All in all, the event lasted four hours (three and a half for them), it was boring as hell, and Sara’s feet started to hurt after the first hour. All she really did was follow Alex around, smile when she was introduced to people, and eat or drink whatever Alex put in her hands. At some point they ran into Alex’s parents, after the number of people in the house was considerably greater, and they talked for a while. Sara liked Alex’s parents, but everybody was a little unbearable in campaign mode. One of Alex’s hands stayed on her at all times, and she was never left alone to talk to people, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Near the end of the event, Alex, who had been spoiled by living alone, had gotten tired of talking to people, so she led Sara out the back doors. There weren’t many people in the backyard — some on the back porch and some in the gazebo, but nobody was sitting on the benches by the pond, so that’s where they went. There were little flower lights on either side, and Alex sat down and pulled Sara onto her lap. Sara sighed, kicking her feet up onto the bench, and buried her nose in Alex’s neck.

“Tired?” Alex asked quietly, not wanting to break the tranquility of the night. The near-full moon was reflecting off the water, and there were frogs chirping and trees rustling in the warm breeze. Alex’s hand was tracing lightly on Sara’s arm.

Sara just shrugged. After a moment, “It’s exhausting keeping good posture in three inch heels for four hours,” she said, moving her head so her temple was resting on Alex’s collarbone.

“Well,” Alex pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “I did promise I’d give you a bath when we get back. Maybe that will help your poor sore muscles.”

“What muscles,” Sara snorted. “I have absolutely none compared to you.”

Alex laughed, ran a hand through her ponytail, and tucked her chin over Sara’s head. They sat there for maybe twenty minutes, silent like the night around them. It was already dark out, but by the time Alex pulled Sara up to leave, the moon was fairly high in the sky. Instead of walking back through the house, they walked through the outdoor hallway connecting the main house and the guest house.

Alex had told Sara about how when her sister had turned ten, Alex had given her old room and she had moved into the guest house. The estate hadn’t had anyone occupying the guest house in decades; they had mostly used it for storage. Alex had turned the upstairs into two rooms — a bedroom with a bathroom and a room that she had used as an office, a library, and a gym when she had lived there.

Alex opened Sara’s car door and shut it for her, before climbing into the driver’s seat and turning the key. The engine roared to life and Alex sped out of the driveway, turning sharply onto the road and speeding back to the hotel. Sara mused that she must have been an incredible street racer, illegality aside. She controlled the two-ton pile of metal effortlessly, so comfortable going too fast and not even blinking as the car shuttered excitedly when she pressed the pedal too hard. Sara grabbed the hand that was resting on the gearshift, lacing their fingers together.

“You okay?” Alex asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

Sara rested her head back against the headrest, closing her eyes for a moment before looking at Alex. “I feel like I should be asking you that. You were the one who did all the talking. I just stood there and looked pretty.”

“You did look very pretty,” Alex confirmed. “But I grew up with this. You were just introduced to it within the last year. It can take some getting used to.”

Alex never really talked about her childhood, outside of the vague references that only she and James, and sometimes her family, understood. If Sara asked a specific question, Alex would answer, but any level of ambiguous and Alex wouldn’t answer clearly.

“What was it like?” Sara asked. “Did you live out of hotels? Or learn how to manipulate the system at a young age?”

Alex squeezed their hands. “Mom didn’t get elected the first time she ran. The living out of hotels didn’t happen until I was eight. And only for about a year; eight year olds are adorable for congressional campaigns, but they can’t exactly campaign themselves. Same thing happened when I was fourteen, and twenty, but by that time I could drive and I didn’t have to stay with my family the whole time. And I inherited my ability to manipulate.”

Before Sara could respond, they were at the hotel and Alex was tossing the keys to the valet. They took the elevator, and Alex let Sara swipe the key card again. She kicked her heels across the room the second the door opened, officially making Alex eight inches taller than her. Which was annoying. Alex continued through to the bedroom and Sara followed, rolling her feet weirdly as she walked to try to rub out the knots.

Alex stepped out of her heels civilly and raised her eyebrows at Sara until she went back out to grab her discarded heels and put them in the closet. Alex was pulling off her top and replacing it with one of James’s button downs that she had probably shoved in her bag a second before she left. The skirt dropped to the floor and Alex glared at it hostilely before hanging it.

Wordlessly, Sara turned her back to Alex and grabbed the end of her ponytail, and Alex unzipped her dress. Sara wiggled out of the dress as Alex pulled it over her head and hung it for her. “Go start the bath,” Alex ordered, snapping the waistband of Sara’s underwear playfully. Sara hummed, padding into the bathroom and sitting on the edge of the claw-foot tub to stopper the drain and turn on the faucet.

Alex came in a moment later, standing behind Sara and resting her hands on the side of her neck. She unclasped Sara’s choker, kissing the top notch of her spine when Sara whimpered at it’s loss. “You get it back,” Alex consoled, dropping the choker on the counter. “I’ll give you something better after your bath, okay?”

Sara nodded without looking at Alex, testing the water temperature with her fingertips. Alex grabbed the hair tie as she leaned forward, taking out her ponytail for her. Alex untangled her own hair next, and flicked the rubber bands into the garbage. Sara turned off the water and stood, digging her toes into the bath mat. She leaned into Alex, dropping her head back against Alex’s shoulder. Alex’s hands landed on her hips again, helping Sara wriggle out of her underwear.

She offered Sara a hand to step into the tub, and Sara took it, kissing Alex’s knuckles on the way in one fluid movement. It wasn’t often Sara was graceful, but she had her moments. Alex smiled at her and knelt as Sara relaxed into the water. “It wasn’t too boring at least, I hope?” she asked, settling a hand at the base of Sara’s neck and lowering her head into the water to get her hair wet. She closed her eyes as the water lapped at her temples.

Alex brought her head back up with a gentle pressure, and when Sara was sitting, knees tucked to her chest and arms wrapped around them, she grabbed the shampoo and poured some directly onto Sara’s head. “I got a lot of ginger ale out of the deal, so it wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” she answered as Alex started lathering the soap in her hair.

Sara groaned lightly in the back of her throat as Alex’s fingertips dug into her scalp. After a while, it had been too long to qualify as anything but a head massage with soap. Sara was almost half asleep by the time Alex had her dunk her head again. “Hold your breath, babe,” Alex said, and Sara closed her eyes before her head was submerged completely.

Alex’s hand was on her shoulder but Sara trusted her not to let her drown. The water was warm and all-encompassing, making everything blurry and soft. She gasped when Alex pulled her back up, rubbing the water off of her eyes before opening them. Alex was watching her, an indecipherable look on her face. “I’ve gotcha,” she said. “You’ve been good. My amazing girl. You did so well at the party. Thanks for coming with me. That would have been unbearable if you hadn’t been there.”

Alex’s hand was on the side of her head, covering her ear, and Sara leaned into it, letting her eyes fall shut. “I love you,” Sara said, kissing Alex’s palm. Alex smiled at her, then, and kissed her forehead.

“I know you do,” she said. “I love you, too.” Sara smiled blissfully and leaned forward, bumping her forehead against Alex’s forearm. “And tomorrow,” Alex continued, “we’re going to the National Gallery of Art for however long you want. I even got us tickets to one of the closed exhibitions.”

Sara’s eyes flicked up to Alex’s enthusiastically, scrunching her nose the way she did when she was excited. “How did you do that?” she asked, and it would have been louder if she hadn’t been so calm beforehand. Despite that, she felt exhilarated for tomorrow. She just hoped Alex hadn’t packed her a stupid outfit. The trust didn’t always extend there, because Alex’s fashion consisted of James’s old clothes and exercise gear.

“I have my ways,” Alex responded conspiratorially, smiling and nipping at Sara playfully. She ran a hand over Sara’s head affectionately. After a little bit, she asked, “You ready to get out yet?” Sara’s head was resting on her arm on the rim of the tub, and she nodded. Her toes were starting to prune.

Alex helped lift her out of the tub, wrapping her in a fluffy white towel. Without being prompted, she grabbed Sara’s hairbrush and brushed her hair out for her, gentle strokes from the top of her skull down through the strands, and Sara watched in the mirror. Alex was always so careful with her. She set the brush down and hugged Sara from behind, chin resting against Sara’s temple.

“You ready to go to bed, babe?” Alex asked, nosing along Sara’s jawline. Sara nodded, and Alex scooped her up bridal style and carried her to the bed, setting her down against the headboard. Sara smiled up at her and Alex kissed her nose. She grabbed Sara’s pajamas from the closet and helped her into them, sleep shorts and one of Alex’s sweatshirts. Sara threw the towel toward the bathroom as Alex climbed in beside her.

Sara hummed happily and curled up on Alex’s chest, tucking her head beneath her chin. She was almost too excited for tomorrow to go to sleep, but Alex’s arms were warm around her, and as her breaths evened out, Sara’s did, too.


	3. (Keep quiet) Let us sing like the doves

Alex could feel when Sara woke up, head pillowed on Alex’s chest and sucking in a long breath. Alex was already awake and had been for a while, but she still looked down at Sara fondly. Sara snuffled adorably and yawned. It wasn’t very surprising — Sara wasn’t much of a morning person. And Sara was rather nonverbal in the morning, so she bumped her head against Alex’s collarbone in lieu of a ‘good morning’.

Alex rubbed a finger along Sara’s jawline in response. The sun was bright through the windows in the tiny sliver where the curtains were peeking open and Sara shoved her face in Alex’s shoulder and whined. Alex snickered good-naturedly at her and tugged on the ends of her hair in the way she liked. “You don’t have to get up yet, if you don’t want,” she comforted amusedly. Sara snuffled some more and nodded. “But I’m going to get up and get ready, because it’s nearly nine and I’ve been trapped under you for two hours.”

Sara groaned, hitting Alex’s stomach with a closed fist and grabbing her shirt. “It’s so early,” she whined, dragging out the ‘y’. She shoved her nose back into Alex’s pectoral before biting it softly. Alex laughed, and Sara ran her tongue over the teeth-indents apologetically.

“Wow,” Alex commented, poking Sara in the side. “You must really want to stay in bed. You usually aren’t this disobedient in the mornings.” She ran her fingers through Sara’s hair so Sara knew she wasn’t actually mad.

Despite Alex’s insistence on getting up, she let Sara continue to nap on her until after ten thirty, which she could tell Sara greatly appreciated. She needed her beauty sleep. She stuck one of her legs between Alex’s and moved the hand on her stomach to Alex’s shoulder. Alex always told her she snored, but Sara denied it, and Alex amended it to saying Sara made ‘cute little kitten noises’, which was apparently acceptable. Sara’s thigh was warm under her’s.

Alex knew Sara loved the mornings when Alex would sleep in with her instead of getting up and exercising right away, if she wasn’t going to go to the gym later that day. Alex was never really affectionate in the mornings; she had lived alone for years, sometimes she still wasn’t used to waking up with another body in her bed. But she made a conscious effort to touch Sara, to be physically affectionate.

Sara hadn’t brought it up before, but Alex had seen her watching. Sara knew Alex made a conscious effort to be physically affectionate, and she rarely was unless someone else initiated it. She had seen Sara watching the way Alex and James moved around each other, close as siblings; bumping hips, James setting things she needed in front of her before she could ask, that kind of thing. They were comfortable with each other from years of experience. But Alex wouldn’t touch him first, or even brush against him. She knew Sara had asked James about it and he hadn’t given her an answer, because it wasn’t his story to tell.

Alex knew Sara had questions: Why don’t you initiate touch? Why do you shy away when James moves too quickly? But Alex wasn’t ready to answer them, not just yet.

And it was morning, soft and light, and the sun reflected off of Sara’s soft pale skin, accentuating the multitude of freckles. There would be other opportunities to tell that story, when the mood was right and it wouldn’t ruin the rest of the day. And Alex had been making an effort to touch first, since she had noticed Sara noticing it, but only when she felt comfortable and confident and in control.

“You ready to get up yet?” Alex asked, pulling herself out of her thoughts. “If we don’t get up now, we probably won’t, and check-out’s at noon.” Sara looked up, and Alex saw Sara’s almost violet eyes staring at her. Sara nodded, and Alex sat up, taking Sara with her. She lifted her, sliding a hand under her back and behind her knees and carried her to the bathroom.

Sara jumped up on the spacious counter after Alex set her down to turn on the shower. Alex could tell she rubbed her thighs together atop the cold marble; her sleep shorts were soft, and Alex’s sweatshirt was too big and covered her hands, but that didn’t protect the backs of her thighs. Sara flapped her sleeves around like paws. Alex loved the way her clothes fit on Sara, even if it was a little strange that Alex was closer in size to James than she was to Sara..

Eh. She didn’t really care. It just meant Alex had a lot of almost-fitting clothes and Sara got to wear Alex’s way-too-big clothes. Alex stepped up to Sara, nudging Sara’s legs apart so she could stand between them. Comfortable and confident and in control. She slid her hands beneath Sara’s (Alex’s) sweatshirt. “You’re gonna have to lose these if you’re gonna get in the shower,” she said. Sara ducked her head, and Alex felt her blush, probably because of Alex’s current wardrobe. Sara was so easy.

Sara leaned forward to bite Alex’s collarbone and Alex ignored her. She tapped Sara’s hip with two fingers, indicating for her to lift her hips. Sara did, and she pulled her pants and underwear off in one go. Sara pulled the end of her sweatshirt down to cover herself, because the counter was exceedingly cold, but Alex tugged it off of her and Sara was forced to stand to keep her ass from freezing. Alex snickered at her and unbuttoned her shirt, letting it fall from her shoulders. It could have been amorous but instead it was just lighthearted and relaxed.

Alex stepped into the shower first, letting the spray hit her shoulders before tugging Sara in behind her with a hand. She felt Sara shiver as stray cold droplets hit her body, but Alex pulled her against her chest and she wasn’t so cold anymore.

It was almost half an hour later before Alex was in the bathroom brushing her still-wet hair in front of the mirror. Half of it was brushed, but the other half was ratty and tangled from Sara’s fingers. She finally got the knots out and grabbed her toothbrush. She heard Sara call out from the bedroom, and stuck her head out of the bathroom door. Sara was in one of the plush hotel bath robes, standing over her open suitcase on the bed. All of the clothes that she had already worn were spread out on the bed.

“What the hell kind of outfit is this?” Sara asked, holding up the last clean thing in her suitcase. “This doesn’t match. At all.”

“I dunno,” Alex answered, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth. “I just grabbed some of your clothes from my place and shoved them in the backpack.”

“I had that dress at your house?” Sara asked, referring to the dress she wore at the gala. “I’ve never even seen it before.”

“Good thing I know your size, then. You could stand to have some nicer clothes in your closet,” Alex called from inside the bathroom, and spit afterword.

“Oh my god,” Sara from the bedroom muttered. “You are so excessive. You didn’t need to buy me a whole new dress just for your mom’s gala.”

“You met those people, right?” Alex walked out of the bathroom, hair in better condition and in a matching robe to Sara’s. “They can smell if you’ve worn something before. My stuff was new, too. Even the shoes.”

Sara didn’t respond; instead she pulled some panties out of the mesh pocket of her suitcase and slipped them on under her robe. “I’m wearing tights with this,” she stated blatantly, although Alex didn’t care either way.

The skirt Alex had ‘just shoved in the backpack’ was tan, with silver snaps down the front, and a black long sleeve t-shirt with thin white stripes. Never in a million years would Sara pick this outfit out for herself, Alex knew, but Alex had kind of been in a rush and now it was the only clean thing she had left. Alex was a light packer and only packed enough for one outfit per day, and planned every second of every day of her life, and she didn’t see the need to have multiple outfit choices per day.

Alex got dressed, in light blue jeans and a black three quarter length shirt that always rode up and showed her stomach, and watched Sara do the same. Alex’s jeans gathered around her ankles and she ignored it, though she could see Sara’s hands itch to roll them. Sara tucked her shirt in and smoothed down her skirt, and sat down on the edge of the bed to shove her feet into the shoes she wore on the way down.

She looked up when Alex stepped in front of her, and her eyes flicked to the button of Alex’s jeans that was right in front of her face. In an example of her astounding self control, Sara only leaned forward and rested her head on Alex’s stomach, nose brushing the slip of skin between her shirt and her jeans, and she brought her hands up to rest on the backs of Alex’s thighs. Alex’s hand rested on the back of Sara’s head.

“You still want to go to the museum? We can just go home if you’re tired,” Alex offered.

Sara made a noise of outrage. “Of course I want to go to the museum. Are you crazy?”

Alex laughed, fingers threading into the hairs at the back of Sara’s neck. “Apparently.”

Sara laughed and bit the skin beneath Alex’s belly button, and Alex tugged her hair sharply, but not enough to really hurt. Sara looked up innocently, batting her eyelashes and smiling like she hadn’t done anything wrong. Alex frowned at her, but Sara knew she wasn’t really mad. Either way, Alex tapped her on the nose scoldingly.

“You keep acting like this…” Alex trailed off, letting the threat hang. Sara nosed at Alex’s stomach in apology, and Alex ran a hand through Sara’s hand in lieu of an acceptance of Sara’s apology. “You really are being disobedient this morning. What’s up?”

Sara shrugged. “I’m just excited,” she said.

“Yeah, I figured,” Alex said. She coaxed Sara up with hands on her sides. “Let’s get going, then.” Sara smiled and leaned forward to peck Alex on the lips playfully, pulling Alex down five inches so she could reach. Alex laughed and grabbed Sara’s hand. “Finish packing,” she directed, turning Sara with hands on her hips toward the mess she left on the bed.

Sara sighed and started shoving things in her bag, as Alex collected her stuff from the bathroom. She came back out with a little bag in her hand not even a minute later, because she was incredibly efficient. Alex tossed the bag into her own suitcase and flipped it closed, zipping it up and tossing it upright on the ground.

Sara had just finished zipping her suitcase closed, so Alex took it and dropped it next to her own suitcase. “You double check everything?” Alex asked, and Sara sighed and dropped down to check under the bed as Alex checked through all the drawers in the room, even though they hadn’t even used them. Alex found nothing, and watched Sara stand up with another sigh. “I already checked the bathroom,” Alex said. She grabbed both suitcases and her backpack and Sara grabbed her messenger bag, and they were out the door and into the elevator.

Alex checked them out at the front desk while Sara lingered behind her, distracted fingers on Alex’s lower back so she would stay close. Alex smiled at the desk clerk and he motioned over another guy, who took the suitcases from them and Alex grabbed Sara’s wrist and they followed him outside, where a third guy had the Camaro waiting for them. Alex sometimes loved being the daughter of a big political player, because it made a lot of people do a lot of things for her.

They climbed in the car, and Alex’s hands flex on the steering wheel. She hated leaving her car with other people, but it was just easier sometimes. Alex tapped on the screen on the console, getting directions to the museum. She may have grown up in DC, but the computer would help her avoid some of the traffic on the way there.

They set off, turning out of the hotel’s driveway and onto the road. Already the lanes were packed, and Alex maneuvered her way in between cars confidently and efficiently. Sara shoved her feet up on the dash and leaned back against her door, tugging the seat belt down off her neck. Alex thought it was cute that she was short enough that the seatbelt always choked her, no matter how she was sitting. Her skirt rode up her thighs, and Sara stared at it for a moment before sighing and ignoring it. Alex hoped she wouldn’t distract any other drivers with her cute underwear through her tights.

It took about twenty minutes to get to the museum and find someplace to park. Sara turned the radio on quietly and tapped her foot to the beat until Alex opened her door for her and offered her a hand out. Sara linked their fingers and Alex locked the car and led the way out of the parking garage. Alex led them to the museum and through the entrance, while Sara looked around the city and once they were inside, the museum.

Alex bought their tickets and led Sara through the entrance into a round indoor garden. She knew most of her job today would be making sure Sara didn’t fall over while she stared at the art. Alex had never really been interested in art, more mathematically and logically minded, but she could appreciate the simple beauty of a painting.

Alex let Sara lead her through the museum for hours, listening to her rant about her thoughts and feelings of specific paintings and shooting apologetic looks to people who glared at Sara for being too loud. If someone looked more than once, Alex glared, and people backed off quickly after that.

They spent minutes upon minutes at individual paintings, and Alex read the little plates while Sara recited everything she remembered about the artist and the painting. To entertain herself, Alex tried to guess the sizes of the frames and paintings before looking at the plaque, and was pleased when she was right ninety-nine percent of the time.

Every once in awhile, Sara would look back at Alex, eyes full of excitement. Alex would smile back and pull her into a kiss, and Sara would enjoy it and only be slightly annoyed that Alex interrupted her rant. Alex couldn’t help it — when Sara got into one of her enthusiastic rants, her cheeks would flush and her eyes would get huge and her free hand would fly around everywhere; so much that Alex had to grab her wrist a couple times before Sara smacked a stranger in the face.

Sara was precious — and totally exhausted by the time they had gone through the entire museum. Sara’s phone was full of pictures of paintings and other various art, and Alex’s phone was full of pictures of Sara. Alex made her go to the bathroom before they left the museum, because she knew Sara would have to pee the second they got on the interstate and at the most inconvenient time.

They got back to the car and argued about where to get food for a couple minutes, but it wasn’t much of an argument because Sara was half asleep but still picky and Alex refused to go to McDonald’s. Alex finally cajoled Sara into getting something called Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits, Alex’s favorite fast food place from when she was a kid. She ordered for Sara and passed the food over. Sara ate obediently and ended up liking it, and Alex was smug.

Alex finished eating as well, Sara feeding her fries as she drove. Sara shoved all of the trash into the bag and dropped it by her feet before curling up against the door and pulling her feet up. Alex turned on some quiet music and put a hand on Sara’s ankle, and Sara fell asleep quickly.

She was out for the whole drive, which Alex was grateful for, and she knew Sara would be as well. Alex pulled into her driveway two hours later, the sky dark around them. Sara had told her parents that she was spending the first half of break with Alex, so she didn’t have to worry about getting Sara home before curfew.

Alex shut off the car, deciding to leave their bags until morning. She closed her door as quietly as she could and went around the car to open Sara’s. Sara shifted slightly, but slept on. Alex’s heart squeezed at the sight. She reached in to collect Sara into her arms, and Sara reached around her neck in her sleep. Alex let herself grin; there was no one out here to see it.

She got inside through the door in the kitchen, managing to maneuver her keys into the lock with Sara still in her arms. She walked down the hallway and turned to go up the stairs, steadying each footfall so it would be both quiet and balanced. The door to her room was open, and she laid Sara out on the bed. Sara moved her arm up by her face but didn’t wake up, and Alex unbuttoned her skirt and pulled it off after her shoes. She didn’t want to bother Sara more than usual, so she left her in her tights and long-sleeved t-shirt, and changed into pajamas herself.

She crawled over Sara and got them both under the covers, pulling Sara to her chest. Sara sighed in her sleep and curled into Alex’s arms, and Alex’s arms went around her waist. She fell asleep to Sara’s soft breaths and the ruffle of trees outside her windows.


End file.
